To reduce the maintenance required to provide users with a supply of toilet tissue in institutional and public restrooms, many manufacturers of toilet tissue have been producing "jumbo-sized" rolls. These jumbo-sized rolls are typically eight to thirteen inches in diameter, as opposed to the traditional-sized rolls which are four to five inches in diameter. Thus, the jumbo-sized rolls can hold about five to twelve times the amount of tissue as the traditional-sized rolls. Due to the large diameter of the jumbo-sized rolls, dispensers for these rolls are designed so that the axis of rotation of the roll is perpendicular to the dispenser wall mounted to the restroom wall. Heretofore, these dispensers have commonly included a fixed mandrel, typically near the center of the dispenser, to support the jumbo-sized roll as it is being dispensed. Further, these dispensers have typically included a bottom opening, bounded by surrounding edges, through which the users could withdraw tissue paper. At least one of these surrounding edges has been sharp and/or serrated enabling users to pull the tissue paper against this surrounding edge and tear the tissue paper from the roll for personal application. However, these dispensers may be disadvantageous for many reasons.
One disadvantage of these dispensers is that users may find it annoying and difficult to withdraw tissue paper. When a new jumbo-sized roll is installed in the dispenser, it is demanding to withdraw tissue paper because full and substantially full jumbo-sized rolls are heavy, and a large force must be applied by pulling the free end or tail of the roll, to rotate the roll around the fixed mandrel. Additionally, users must frequently extend their hands up into the dispenser to locate and pull the tail of the jumbo-sized tissue roll, which can be difficult and frustrating. This can occur when the jumbo-sized roll has been depleted a significant amount and the periphery of the roll is spaced from the dispenser opening, or when the tail of the roll inadvertently ends up on the bottom wall on the inside of the dispenser.
Another disadvantage associated with prior dispensers for jumbo-sized rolls is that users may accidentally scratch themselves on the sharp and/or serrated edges of the dispenser, which are intended for ripping the toilet tissue. Users are especially susceptible to being scratched when they are required to reach up into the dispenser to locate the tail of the tissue roll. Further, heretofore, it has not been practical to eliminate the sharp and/or serrated edges of the dispenser and use a jumbo-sized roll of perforated tissue paper, as a roll of perforated tissue paper is susceptible to undesirable tearing along its perforations when the necessary force to rotate the jumbo-sized roll is applied.
Therefore, a dispenser for jumbo-sized tissue rolls was thus needed which would eliminate sharp and serrated edges which can scratch the user, and which would facilitate the withdrawal of tissue paper throughout the dispensing process. The present invention was developed to accomplish these and other objectives.